Collective Endeavors to Realize Hau Giang’s Aspiration for Robust Growth

Evolving from its agrarian roots with humble beginnings, Hau Giang has achieved noteworthy breakthroughs across diverse sectors. The current successes reflect the determination and collaborative efforts of the entire political apparatus, the people, and local businesses. Committed to comprehensive reform and decisive measures, the provincial government is resolute in collaborating with the business community to realize Hau Giang province's aspirations for advancement. Mr. Dong Van Thanh, Chairman of Hau Giang Provincial People's Committee, elaborated on these endeavors with Vietnam Business Forum's reporter.

The Vietnam Rice Exhibition 2023, hosted in Hau Giang province, garners significant attention, attaining two prestigious Vietnamese records - a testament to the elevated stature of Vietnamese rice culture

Could you briefly introduce the outstanding achievements of Hau Giang province on its 20-year journey of construction and development (January 1, 2004 - January 1, 2024)?

In 2004, Hau Giang was established as a purely agricultural province. Despite starting from a modest base and facing numerous challenges, the Party Committee and the people of Hau Giang united and leveraged their collective strength. They drew upon their rich traditions and built upon the significant achievements of previous terms. Embodying a spirit of innovation and breakthrough, they demonstrated determination and they capitalized on opportunities, ignited aspirations, and took decisive actions.

This period marked a golden era in Hau Giang’s socio-economic development. The province experienced rapid growth, achieving comprehensive and impressive results across all sectors. The Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) witnessed a year-on-year increase, reflecting the province’s robust economic growth. In 2023, Hau Giang emerged as a luminary in the nation’s economic landscape, consistently outpacing the average growth rate. Specifically, the GRDP for 2023 reached 12.27%, marking a two-level increase compared to 2022, thereby continuing to lead the Mekong Delta region and securing the second rank nationwide. The per capita GRDP reached VND80.33 million, reflecting a 21.34% increase over the same period. Its budget revenue witnessed a sharp increase, with an average annual growth of 15%.  Hau Giang’s economic scale has notably improved. Significant investments have been made in socio-economic infrastructure, particularly in transport, industrial, and urban infrastructure. Industrial production has developed and become the primary driver of the province’s growth, boasting a growth rate of 31.09%. The agricultural sector has demonstrated stable development. The initiative for new rural development has achieved significant results, with 40 out of 51 communes in the province meeting new rural standards. Cultural and social fields have received due attention, with numerous cultural heritages being preserved and promoted. The education and medical networks have been strengthened and developed. The rate of poor households has sharply decreased, and the living standards of the people have been continually improved and enhanced. Social security is guaranteed, and policies for people with meritorious services have been fully implemented. National defense, security, social order, and safety have been maintained, thereby creating a favorable environment for economic and social development.

Despite progress, Hau Giang province faces significant challenges. Its economy has grown, but the scale remains small. Per capita income, population size, and urbanization rates are below desired levels. Poverty exceeds regional and national averages. Human resources, infrastructure, and connectivity are limited. Hau Giang is significantly impacted by climate change. It is imperative for Hau Giang to redouble its efforts, seize opportunities, surmount challenges, and transform potential into tangible resources. This will enable the realization of the aspiration to develop Hau Giang into a leading province within the region.

Cau Duc pineapple fields - a popular community tourism destination in Hau Giang province

Could you please tell us about the vision and key tasks of Hau Giang development in the coming years?

Hau Giang Provincial Planning for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, clearly states development orientation and necessary tasks to be executed: Hau Giang will be a relatively developed province in the country, an industrial manufacturing and logistics center of the Mekong Delta. It will have comprehensively developed cultural and social fields; a healthy living environment; active adaptation to climate change; guaranteed national defense, security, social order and safety; and wealthy, cultured and happy people.

Social and economic activities of the province are arranged into four regions and two economic corridors. The province will implement five strategic breakthroughs: One center: Developing Chau Thanh district into an industrial and urban center of the province; Two dynamic economic corridors: Developing two dynamic economic corridors: Can Tho - Ca Mau Expressway linked to Ho Chi Minh City and Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway linked to southern provinces of the Hau River to form the province's key economic corridor; Three urban centers: Developing and upgrading the province's urban centers: Vi Thanh City, Nga Bay City and Long My Town, with Vi Thanh City being a political, economic, cultural and social center of the province; Four economic pillars: Modern industry, ecological agriculture, smart cities and quality tourism; and five key tasks: Completing institutions and policies; developing quality human resources for various fields; conducting administrative reform, improving the business investment environment and enhancing competitiveness; completing infrastructure, especially transport and industrial infrastructure; developing social and cultural institutions, and improving the material and spiritual life of the people.

In the coming time, closely following the direction and administration of the central government and the Prime Minister, the Provincial People's Committee will introduce groups of consistent tasks and solutions to achieve and exceed all major social and economic development, defense and security targets. In addition, the province will focus on resolving and removing difficulties and obstacles to facilitate investors to realize their pledged investment projects; mobilize resources for development investment, especially synchronous transportation infrastructure; speed up the progress of Dong Phu 2 Industrial Park and Song Hau 2 Industrial Park, which were added by the Prime Minister to the National Industrial Park Planning; accelerate the implementation and disbursement of public investment capital, socioeconomic recovery and development programs and three national target programs to at least 95% of the provided budget; direct the accelerated construction of passing highways in the province; and promote administrative reform together with e-government construction, digital transformation and provincial competitiveness improvement.

Nga Bay city, Hau Giang province

The province has continuously promoted administrative reform, improved the business environment and enhanced competitiveness to make those achievements. How do you think about this?

In the past time, the province has always defined administrative reform as a “key task” and a “breakthrough stage” to support local socioeconomic development. Thus, to improve this work, the province included administrative reform as one of three breakthrough tasks in implementing the resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress in the 2020 - 2025 term.

To realize all targets set in the resolution, the province has adopted many solutions to remove “bottlenecks” in substantive administrative procedure reform. The main solutions include:

First, simplifying institutions, reducing the time of settling procedures and introducing specific support policies to create the most favorable environment for investors in Hau Giang province.

Second, strengthening information technology application, applying essential public services (especially public services according to Project 06/CP of the Government and popular essential public services used by organizations and individuals), facilitating organizations and individuals to carry out administrative procedures to increase public satisfaction with administrative agencies.

Third, fully and flexibly applying investment attraction policies, reforming and streamlining regulations, processes and steps regarding the implementation of administrative procedures for people and businesses, including internal administrative procedures among State administrative agencies; effectively simplifying business conditions and documents, abolishing unnecessary and troublesome requirements that are reportedly hindering and restricting business freedom.

Fourth, further reviewing administrative procedures in a simplified and streamlined approach in the electronic environment, thus enabling people and businesses to perform public services anytime, anywhere; publicizing processes and reducing the time of carrying out procedures relating to land leasing, land allocation, business certification, land compensation, resettlement support; connecting with credit institutions; and supporting trade promotion to facilitate local businesses to expand consumption markets.

Fifth, strongly monitoring and supervising the Public Administration Service Center and public employees at single-window divisions at all levels in resolving administrative procedures; improving the capacity of public employees in receiving and delivering results of administrative procedures in the province.

Thank you very much!

Source: Vietnam Business Forum